Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Snowmass = Heaven

There is always a difference of opinion when we're here with Bill & Deanne. Out of the four ski mountains at Aspen, they prefer to ski at Buttermilk while Rich (and I, when I skied) prefers Snowmass. Snowmass is massive, over 3,000 acres of skiable terrain with many long, cruising, intermediate runs. They skied at Buttermilk Monday & Tuesday so today was Snowmass. After we got back to the hotel this evening, Rich commented that today he was in heaven.

Free ski buses run continuously to all four mountains. Here is the crew this morning crossing from Bill's & Deanne's hotel over to the bus stop where I am waiting.

Have you ever wondered if Heaven has a logo? Well here it is, the stylized Aspen leaf between the words Aspen and Snowmass on the ticketing center at the Snowmass Pavilion.

Deanne took a day off the slopes so she and I wandered through the Snowmass Village Mall and found a little bakery where we could chat and catch up without the guys...you know how it is. I took a couple of short movies of their first run, then Rich took our camera with him.

He shot this after they got off the chair lift at Elk Camp. In the far distance, at about the center of the photo, you can barely see peaks in the clouds. Those are the Maroon Bells of the Rockies, three peaks in close proximity to each other.

Rich and Bill at Elk Camp standing in front of the "Bells"

Bill ready to head back down to the base from Elk Camp.The valley below appears to go on forever.